Flavio Ambrosetti (1919 – 2012) was one of the most important saxophonists in European jazz
At the age of sixteen, he abandoned the piano, on which he used to play scores by Claude Debussy, Fryderyk Chopin and the great composers of Broadway musicals, to devote himself to the study of the tenor saxophone
The decision followed a meeting in a St. Moritz hotel with American saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, accompanied for the occasion by a lineup of Swiss musicians
He later took lessons in Milan from tenor saxophonist Bruno Martelli
Influenced by listening to Benny Carter records, he later opted for alto saxophone. Even though he was not a professional jazz musician at that time his name began to circulate in the European jazz circuit
In 1949, he took part in the Jazz Festival organized by critic Charles Delaunay at the Salle Pleyel in Paris with the ensemble of Swiss trumpeter and vibraphonist Hazy Osterwald, which included Italian drummer Gil Cuppini
Riding the wave of success at the Paris festival, the Lugano saxophonist plays again with Hazy Osterwald at the Knokke Jazz Festival in Belgium. A year later he participated in a recording in Milan with the Bebop Sextet, featuring Giulio Libano on trumpet and Gil Cuppini on drums, and recorded with Belgian harmonica player and guitarist Toots Thielemans. He also participated in the first edition of the Sanremo Jazz Festival organized by Arrigo Polillo and Pino Maffei
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Flavio Ambrosetti joined the ensemble formed by Raymond Court on trumpet, George Gruntz on piano, Eric Peter on double bass and Daniel Humair on drums. A long association with Gruntz and Humair began in those years; with them and his son Franco, a trumpeter, the Italian-Swiss saxophonist would record several records for Tito Fontana’s Dire label
Flavio and Franco Ambrosetti in the 1970s led the international band The Band, with which they recorded the albums The Band-The Alpine Power Plant, awarded in 1974 by the Italian Association of Record Critics, and The Band-Recorded Live at the Schauspielhaus
Gil Cuppini, among the first internationally renowned drummers of Italian jazz, about the Italian-Swiss saxophonist said – “Flavio was one of the great pioneers of European jazz and even now he is one of the most appreciable musicians, in all respects.”
Essential discography: The Band. The Alpine Power Plant (1972 – MPS Records), The Band. Live at the Schauspielhaus (1976 – MPS Records)
